Bee Gees - "To Love Somebody"

Having a retrospective Thursday, so here we go. "To Love Somebody." An absolutely beautiful song written and sung by the incomparable Bee Gees, covered by two of my idols, Ray LaMontagne and Damien Rice.

What an amazing tune and what a powerful performance.

Cheers,

The Art of High Fiving

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

HIGH-FIVE! - watch more funny videos

David Ford : "Go To Hell"

Not much needs to be said about the below video. When you start watching it, you really think it's just some dude in a kitchen playing with utensils, but keep watching. Everything that David Ford, hailing from England, is doing is being recorded on the spot. From knives to guitars, poland spring water jugs to piano, he harmonizes on top of his own voice and creates a full tune, on the spot.

He did this in a really cool and infamous recording studio in Brooklyn, not far from where I lived from 2006 - 2007. The entire studio, including kitchen, hallway, living room, and musical instruments are all mic'd. Everything David does is being recorded as he plays it.

I dare you to show me someone else who can make a song from scratch simply by walking around the studio, starting with a cup of tea.

Ray Lamontagne : "Empty"

We've all been through various things in our lives that we wish never happened. "Pain" is a word in the dictionary for a reason, because it's something that we all feel at one point or another in our lives. Some of us feel more than others, some tune it out as if it doesn't exists, but it's there. Whether it's heartbreak, the loss of a loved one, or it seems like nothing ever goes your way...we've all been there and will be there again.

It's how you get past the pain that matters and brings out the true character inside you. Do you hide and hope it goes away or do you lift your head up and keep pushing along? In my life I've always had music, so this was my remedy. By deeply listening to lyrics from various artists I've been able to say "this ain't that bad" and just keep going, because there's no point in just sitting still. Ani Difranco wrote a tune called "As Is" in 1998 that appeared on her record, "Little Plastic Castles." Sometimes you think you can't win, and no matter what you do in life, you're not meant to push forward. She says:

"Cuz when I look around,
I think this, this is good enough.
And I try to laugh
At whatever life brings.
Cuz when I look down
I just miss all the good stuff.
When I look up
I just trip over things."

Why lift your head up if you're going to keep tripping over things, and why put your head down if you're going to miss all that this life has to offer? It's such a beautiful verse because we've all been there. If you're having a bad day, sometimes you just want to put your head down and say "screw it." But, if you do, you may have just missed something that could lift you up. I like when she says "when I look up, I just trip over things." Would you rather have your head down and not enjoy or learn anything from your surroundings, or would you rather stay confident, keep your head up, and have some rough patches while pushing forward? I don't know about you, but I choose the latter. Why walk if you never want to run?

Ray Lamontagne is perhaps the best lyricist when it comes to pain, suffering, feeling down. He's notoriously not a very "happy-go-lucky" person, if anyone has ever seen him live. His shows are very spiritual and emotional in a way that has people sitting and truly listening, not slamming cocktails and dancing. Therapy sessions typically cost well over $100 per session. Ray Lamontagne tickets cost about $30. You do the math. People are there for a reason.

Ray wrote a song called "Empty" which is utterly beautiful. The entire song is about how he feels empty inside, and how no matter how hard he tries, he just can't enjoy the good in life. Lines like "I never choose to count my blessings, I choose instead to dwell in my disasters" truly sum up the meaning of this song and his struggles. Sometimes we all act as martyrs with the "woe-is-me" syndrome. Woe isn't you, and woe will never be you. "Woe-is-me" only shows up to the party when you've let your guard down and completely refuse to push forward. Yet, this line in the song can still resonate inside all of us.

Ray gets to a point in the song where it sounds like there's no return; he'll never be happy. I get chills every time I hear the lyrics in the last verse because it's so real. If you watch the video below you'll see that he's not just acting this song out. He truly has this pain inside of him which is beautiful to watch and to hear, and not in a masochistic way; in a sympathetic and empathic way.

"Well I looked my demons in the eyes,
Laid bare my chest, said 'Do your best, destroy me.
You see, I've been to hell and back so many times,
I must admit you kind of bore me.'"

"You kind of bore me!" If you didn't get chills there then check your pulse. Listen, I know this post is rather dramatic and emotionally "blah," but this is a line that we all need to take into perspective. Next time you get down on yourself. Next time you feel like nothing's working out. Next time you lose someone, get your heartbroken, or just have a bad day...think of this line. If you've felt pain before, you know what it is and you know how it works. If you accept it and realize that it's inevitably going to happen then you can walk forward with your head up, even if you do trip over things on the way to wherever your life is heading.

This is a shout out to my buddy Scott Pinker in NYC who lost his Mother at the end of last year. She was an absolutely amazing mother and friend to Scott and to all that were close to the family; you always felt good when you were around her. She resonated love and her laugh and smile will forever be missed. Scott first showed me this song back when I was living in NYC, and he forwarded me a post from his buddy who wrote for a music magazine at the time. His buddy lost his mother at the time this song was released and he wrote about this exact lyric, so I wanted to give Scotty a quick shout out and say I'm thinking about you bud. You're a great friend.

Cheers.

Jackson Browne : "The Load Out" & "Stay"

I remember being a kid out on the beaches of Montauk and Amagansett with my family.  Scott and I must have been about 5 years old when we started going.  The sand dunes and wooden walkways to the water are forever embedded in my mind.  It was so cool.  It was laid back, we were there with my whole family and our parents' friends, the McGuires and their kids...it was awesome.  I remember that the houses we stayed in always had gravel driveways, and the crunch of the gravel as we drove over always reminded me that we were either just getting to the house or we were leaving.  I didn't like the leaving part as much as the arriving.

I'll never forget the music out there.  My dad and Mac (Mr. McGuire) were music fanatics and always had the best taste in tunes.  I swear that these times out on Long Island placed a solid cornerstone into my appreciation for solid songwriting.  From the Boss, to Bruce Hornsby.  From Bob Dylan to Neil Young.  Music was always on and music was always enjoyed.

Jackson Browne basically lived at our beach house.  Similar to the Boss living at 114 Grandview, Jackson Browne was a fixture at the McGuire/ Brown summer vacation house, and he held the position as Entertainment Chair.  My dad showed me Jackson Browne's tune, "The Load Out" which transitions into "Stay," and the rest is history.  It easily goes down in my book as one of the best written songs, and one that I heard on repeat on many warm nights at our summer beach houses.

There's a specific moment that I remember that I think is great.  Mac and my dad loved cooking lobsters at the houses.  They'd get lobsters, pretty good sized as this was eastern Long Island, and they'd bring them home and let them somewhat roam free on the ground.  Of course, Scott and I being twins and not at all competitive (insert giggle and wedgie here), we decided to race the lobsters on the floor.  Man was that fun.  When I hear Jackson open up "The Load Out," all I smell is the beach, I hear gravel crunching as we drive into the house, and I think of lobsters.  It's an amazing memory that will forever stick in my mind.

The reason why "The Load Out" and "Stay" are such great tunes is because they are contextually about music, and what goes into performing each and every night in front of a new audience.  "The Load Out" is entirely about Jackson's road crew.  He pays homage to them and celebrates them, as if they are right on stage with them.

"Now the seats are all empty
Let the roadies take the stage
Pack it up and tear it down
They're the first to come and last to leave
Working for that minimum wage..."

That's his opening sentiment.  It's a mellow piano riff with some emotion behind it, and then right into it.  Later on he goes:

"Now roll them cases out and lift them amps
Haul them trusses down and get'em up them ramps
'Cause when it comes to moving me
You know you guys are the champs"

Throughout the rest of the tune he basically gives you an inside look on what it takes to put on his show every night.  From the roadies, to the tour buses, to "Richard Pryor on the video," this IS the life of touring with Jackson Browne.

Name another artist who will write a song, and perform a song, solely for their road crew; the guys in all black with long hair, flash lights around their neck, smoking Marlboro reds while they push cases of guitars and sound rigs into 18 wheelers. These guys are no joke and these guys deserve praise.  What makes this song even more powerful is that he plays it at the end of his shows, or as we know it, the "encore."  The "encore" is meant for one purpose and that is to appease the crowd.  The "hit" is usually played as the encore. "Running on Empty," or "The Pretender;" these are all huge hits.  Sure, "The Load Out" and "Stay" did well, but in no way were they bigger than his other tunes.  This was done on purpose, like "listen, my road crew is the best and this is for them.  This is what they do every night, so check it out."

The song then turns into something for the crowd, like Jackson is saying "this party hasn't ended yet even though we might be leaving, but nah..."  Jackson then sings:

"People stay just a little bit longer
We want to play -- just a little bit longer
Now the promoter don't mind
And the union don't mind
If we take a little time
And we leave it all behind and sing
One more song"

This blows up into a huge instrumental and they jam for about 5 minutes.  Female vocals come screaming in, harmony vocals, sax solos, guitar solos.  You name it.  This isn't the end of show, this is a party and we're not quite ready to go.   This is when the song becomes "Stay."  


What a cool concept of a song and what great memories I have of it.  Close your eyes and picture you're at a beach house while you listen to the below live version from '78; lobsters about to get cooked.  Mom, dad and their friends are enjoying some tasty adult beverages.  As a matter of fact, if you're reading this then you're of age, so grab a cold beer and enjoy Jackson Browne pay homage to his touring crew.  What a tune.

Cheers, 
Kevin Browne 

Orianthi

I first saw Orianthi play guitar for Carrie Underwood at the Grammy's a few years back. I was like, damn, this girl can SHRED a PRS!!  I recently saw an interview with Carlos Santana where he said he was "passing the torch" to Orianthi. If Santana says that, you're good.

She's performed with Steve Vai, Santana, Prince, Carrie Underwood, and most infamously on "This is It" as Michael Jackson's lead guitar player. The girl can shred.

Ironically she's all over the radio right now with a track called "According to You," which is a huge pop hit with a grueling guitar solo in the middle. Trust me, I've tried to figure it out, it's impossible. Her fingers are like hummingbirds. Check her out.

Here's Orianthi showing how she got the gig to be MJ's guitar player on the "This is It" tour with her "Beat It" solo. Damn.  Don't mind Jojo and his amazing kiss-assing of Orianthi.  Sounds like someone has a crush...

Cheers,

Jónsi: "Go Do"

Jón “Jónsi” Þór Birgisson... say that 10 times as fast as you can. For those who don't know "Jónsi" for short, he's the lead singer and guitar player for Icelandic band "Sigur Rós."  What an amazing band, seriously, what an absolutely unreal band. Jónsi created his own language and this language comprises the lyrics to all of Sigur Ros' songs. You've heard them in "Vanilla Sky" the Tom Cruise flick, although that was an instrumental.

At any Sigur Ros show you'll see Jónsi playing the guitar with a cello bow, literally holding notes as if he's in the Icelandic Philharmonic, but performing dreamscape / fantasy music. Every Sigur Ros record has blown me away, from beginning to the end. You find yourself in a trance like stare while self reflecting and thinking about things that were never top of mind until you pushed play. Listen asap.

Jónsi has put out 2 records solo, one in 2009 entitled "Riceboy Sleeps" and one that was release 10 days ago called "Go." Go get "Go" now! I am completely blown away. From the percussive elements of standard Sigur Ros tunes to absolutely mind altering hooks, this record will make you smile and truly enjoy the things that you never thought were there in music. Small timpani fills in the background, a 4 on the floor bass groove with huge falsettos floating above guitars and bass riffs. I'm speechless now and will end it here. This is one of the best records I've owned in some time now.

Check it out. Here's the title track entitled "Go Do." Listen to the hook, when the "1, 2, 3, 4," feeling comes in even heavier from the bass drums. Wow.

Cheers,

Thom Yorke

How awesome is this?  EASILY my favorite vocalist in music history.  Sometimes people can just open their mouths and you'll in turn be left with your jaw on the floor.  Thom Yorke is at the top of this list.  The dude is a walking musical composition and has the best falsetto out of any artists to date...and yes, I'm willing to bet on it.  I accept paypal.

And, by the way, you know that you're song is awesome when Danger Mouse and Cee-Lo perform it live.  I mean, seriously!?  Look at Cee-Lo's face right when the guitar riff starts.  Dude is like "damn right this is some Radiohead."  

Cheers, 

William Fitzsimmons : "It's Not True"

Often times in music it takes a few listens to truly "get" the meaning of a song. Often times in music it takes a few listens of an entire album to even decide if you like it or not. Upon first listen, you may think it's too slow or too moody, but then that record will be on one rainy day and it will be perfect; the best record you've ever heard.

I first heard William Fitzsimmons in about 2006 while at The Harry Fox Agency. My life was a lot different then. I was struggling to pay rent, working in a very "socially active" business, and at time sleeping a bit too much due to the hangover from the night before. I was listening to a lot of hip hop, funk, and eclectic music at the time; basically immersing myself in the genres of music that I found myself surrounded by at shows and at the office. My previous job was at Intrigue Music, and I was still deep into those artists' music.  Patrick Watson made me love uniqueness and songwriting, James Brown made me love the intricacies of what truly makes a song, and Braille made me love hip hop beats and lyrics on a conscious level, which was a breath of fresh air from the 50 Cent and Eminem tracks that smeared the radio. Basically, I was surrounded by really cool music, and William Fitzsimmons stepped into my life. A slow, moody, and somewhat depressing message in each song had me confused. I knew I liked something about it, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it.

I ended up downloading his first two records online, "Goodnight," and "Until We Are Ghosts." To be honest, I didn't like them at first. It was almost too moody. Of course everyone likes a little sad song from time to time, just to know that they're not alone in whatever they're going through, but this was actually making me sad. The lyrics and vocal tone were so melancholy that I found myself listening with a pouty lip and a trance like stare. I kept listening though, which was the interesting part. It's not like I'm glutton for pain or self punishment, but something in his music wouldn't allow me to move away from it. Then, it hit me.

Sometimes pain is beautiful. Sometimes hearing someone sing about loss, love, heartache, or death can be a beautiful thing; knowing that there are other people out there that have felt the same exact thing as you. William Fitzsimmons is a walking, breathing, strumming therapist who tells you about his life so he can make you feel better about yours. His lyrics are absolutely untouchable; 100% untouchable and completely honest. His live shows are riddled with his jokes about how "these are all sad songs," etc, however...people are there to see you, William. We KNOW that these are sad songs, which is why we're here to watch you sing them. We WANT you to sing them.

We're all in this together and William Fitzsimmons is here to steer us through. Check out the below live version of "It's Not True," which is the opening track off of "Goodnight," his 1st record. This performance is from "Deep Rock Drive," a cool interactive online music setting where users can ask questions directly to the artist, but there's nobody actually in the room except the artist. 

No flashy falsettos, no crazy loops or electronics, and no huge vocal changes; just a dude telling you about his life, with an awesome beard.

"Everyday is another chance to bury my regret.
"Everyday is another chance to make it but I can't."

Cheers,

Nintendo w/ Pink Floyd?

Sorry ya'll, I've been a little distant as I was out in Chi-town since Sunday. Peep this real quick though. Anyone my age (21) grew up playing Nintendo. Additionally, anyone my age also grew up listening to Dark Side of the Moon by Pink Floyd; a true musical masterpiece.

Now take the NES music from Nintento and produce the entire record from start to finish? WHOA.

This is the link to the entire album, but below is the opening track from the record. Thanks to my bro for showing this to me:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=euLdKW_Db1k&feature=PlayList&p=7E74E32198876508&index=0&playnext=1